Sad NaNoWriMo Month

November 30th

Let me start by saying Happy Birthday to Lucy Maud Montgomery. I will be forever grateful to you for writing Anne of Green Gables. 

The last time I wrote was on the second of November. Here

It was about how excited I was for NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I didn't win. I barely made a dent on my word count.

I waited longer than I had planned for my laptop to be fixed and returned. It came on the 16th of November.

I did start writing quickly, but it kind of fizzled out. I've been working on other projects, and because it was late in the month, I basically had to choose one over the other. This month has seemed really hectic and busy, and I think if I had been able to start my 50,000 words on the first day, and go from there, I would have been able to finish. 

I regret procrastinating. I should have sent my laptop in to be fixed months ago, and because of that I delayed my favourite writing month. 

Writing is healing, and I should have done more of that. I should always do more of it.

As you may have noticed, I also didn't blog. I will hopefully be making up for that in December.

Although I regret not being able to start my novel on time, and not being able to finish 50,000 words, there are positives to my short NaNoWriMo 2015 experience. 

• I was inspired.
• I started writing a different story with different characters.
• Although I won't finish it right away, I know I will. I need to finish editing the first one, finish writing the second one - AND THEN I will get to my new one. It's looking like I write in the same way I read books.

Basically, I know things will be good. I know that next year in November, I will be ready. I may have more on my plate, but at least I'll have a working laptop. (I hope.)

Also - by this time next year - I plan to have resubmitted my first novel to a new publisher, and to be done my second. No pressure or anything, but it's time. It's time (again) to work towards my dream.

In other news, Clint is away at work (for two weeks now), and will be gone until December is half way through, so Drogo and I have gotten a lot of bonding time.

We're doing well, but I do hate leaving him during the day. 

Basically, he's been part of what's keeping me busy this month. Here are some pictures to end my post.

I will be blogging more next month. I promise!

Puppy Pillow.

First snowfall.

Out for a walk.

He can get on the bed by himself, but prefers when I help him.

Hinting he needs a walk.

As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

Year long Prompts

HAPPY NANOWRIMO

Nov 2, 2015

Well, it's becoming one of my favourite times of year. Nanowrimo month!

Nanowrimo is National Novel Writing Month. It lasts the entire month of November. Basically, you can write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

This will be my second year participating. I wrote 50,000 words quicker that I thought last year. It wasn't an entire novel, but it was a good beginning and middle.

I was ready to begin on November 1st, but there was one tiny little problem. I FINALLY took my laptop in to get fixed, and it will take 7-10 days to get it returned to me (hopefully with a working keyboard). It's pretty hard to write, and keep track of my word count without a computer.

I will be getting a late start this year, but plan to write in my book journal, and then get it all in a word program the second I have my laptop back. It probably would have helped if I had sent it in to get fixed a week ago, instead of the day before. 

Procrastination.

So, Happy NaNoWriMo to all involved. I am pretty ill prepared, I only came up with my story yesterday. Now I just have to write it. I wanted to go into writing with a fresh mind and story. That's what I'll be doing.

I found this to be a very inspiring month last year, and I think it'll be no different this year.

Writing is going to be my life (again), and hopefully for much longer than a month. 

I'll be updating as much as I can on here. About my 50,000 words, and anything else interesting that comes my way.

Short post today, but it'll get better, I'm sure! Especially after I actually start writing. 

How I'll be writing for the first week.

As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

Year long Prompts

This Week in my Life

October 14

I'm holding true to my one post a week in October. I'm pretty happy I made the easy goal for myself. Next month, I'll try to up it to two a week.

I've once again, picked some prompts for this week (from Saturday the 10th until Friday the 16th. I won't do all of them, just the ones I have answers to.

I hope everybody had a great Canadian Thanksgiving (those from Canada that celebrate). I had a great weekend with my family. I relaxed in my small town, and showed my pup what it was like living in a quiet town.

Now for the prompts.

10. Share your favourite recipe that includes eggs.

I would normally skip this one, but I did just recently discover a delicious and different egg recipe called Eggs in Hell. So good. Not an every weekend kind of treat, but nice for the odd weekend brunch.

I'll add a link to the recipe I found. Eggs In Hell I've got it on my Pinterest eating board. My Pinterest Food Section 

And a pictures of the cooking process/finished product. 


11. If you were going on a trip to any place in the world today, where would you go and what would you do?

I've always wanted to go to Ireland. So I'll stick with that. It hasn't really changed, but the truth is, I'd go anywhere. There are still places in Saskatchewan I want to explore as well. I've got a friend in Australia that I'd love to see. 

I have a lot of places I'd love to see.

12. What are your pet peeves?

Mean people.

13. Do you find it difficult to ask for help?

Yes. Always have. I will though if I have to.

16. What changes have you made in your life this month?

So far, I'm eating better, but I'm not exercising enough. So I still need to work on life improvements. 

I'm making sure to write and read more.

That's about it. 



Until next week, 

As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

October Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-october/

Year long Prompts

Smiling

October 8, 2015

Looks like I'm taking this once a week posting seriously. Once again, I've got some catching up to do. I REALLY wanted to post on the 3rd because apparently it was World Smile Day. That sounds like a great thing. So I'll do that prompt for sure, and any other that looks interesting up to this date. 

Then I will take Thanksgiving off. This kind of works as a Thanksgiving post as well because the things that make me smile are also things that I'm thankful for. 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! 
3. Happy World Smile Day! Share a list of ten things that make you smile.

1. My Partner 
   
2. My family 
   
3. My friends
4. My pooch
   
5. My backyard and garden food!
   
6. The Fall colours 
   
7. Coffee
   
8. The big, huge, wonderful sky. 
   
9. Writing. 
10. Books

5. Have you ever visited a farm?

I only kept this one because it's funny. I'm a Saskatchewan girl so the more common question is did I grow up on a farm like so many others. I grew up in a town, but spent time on farms. 

7. What was your favourite game when you were a kid? Do you still play it today?

Monopoly and Clue. And yes.


As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

October Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-october/

Year long Prompts

Hello October.

October 2nd, 2015

Cheers to the most beautiful month of them all.

October goals: 

• Clean off my desk. (The one at home. My work one is organised chaos.)
• Use my desk. (Again, at home.)
• Don't try to rush the month. Enjoy it. (I know I'll want to rush it).
• Stop procrastinating.  Get things done. 
• Edit my novel. Nothing else. Just read through it, comment, and edit it.
• Blog at least once a week. More would be better, but once a week is the goal. 
• Continue enjoying the small and big things. It's working for me.

And I may as well do a prompts (link is below) for the first and second day of the month:

1. Share your favourite vegetarian recipe.

I'm planning to make a zucchini Pizza crust this weekend, so I'll let you know. But - let's be honest. The pizza will have meat on it. So that's not really vegetation. 

I'm sure I could make a mean veggie lasagna. I don't have a recipe though. 

I'm going to be perfectly honest, when I was a teenager, I decided to become vegetarian. It lasted a day.

Then, I decided to just eat chicken, and no other meat. It lasted about a day.

I like meat. I like cooking with meat.

However, I guess my very favourite recipe would be portabella mushroom pizzas... but again. You can put meat in those. And I probably did. I'm really good at adding bacon to most everything.

2. Do you remember your first car? Did you give it a name? Tell us about your first car or what it was like when you learned how to drive.

I didn't get my first car until I was older. She was a Ford Festiva. Felicia the Festiva. My next one was Tommy the Taurus (He didn't last long). Now I have Yolanda the Yaris. I feel bad if I don't name vehicles. I've lived a number of years before and between those cars surviving without a vehicle. It can be done, but isn't always fun.




As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

October Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-october/

Year long Prompts

Writing Stories

September 30, 2015

This is my last day for September prompts. The rest will remain unanswered. Compared to the months previous to September, I've done very well.

28. Tell us about your writing process – do you like music or quiet, is there a special place you go to work, do you type from the beginning or write notes with a pen and paper first?

I promise I'm going to answer the question. First though, I'm going to talk about what happened exactly one year ago yesterday. (The 'On This Day' Facebook feature reminded me.) Strange, my last post on how I've changed, I didn't mention writing. http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/09/changes.html

One year ago, this week, I sent my query and partial manuscript to a second publisher.

I'm actually pretty sad to admit, I have not done anything since sending it. I have not done anything since I received both 'nos'. 

In a year, other than blogging, I have not written. I received the evaluation, and I still haven't done anything. I haven't made the effort I should to get my novel published.

This isn't to say I won't. I'm disappointed with my lack of work ethic. My lack of ambition. 

Next year, if I'm asked how I've changed in a year, I hope to say that I gave writing my absolute all. I didn't give up, and I never stopped. 

I don't want any excuses. I just want to write. I want to fix my novel, and I want to find somebody who loves it as much as I do and wants to publish it.

And I will.

For the question:

Tell us about your writing process – do you like music or quiet, is there a special place you go to work, do you type from the beginning or write notes with a pen and paper first?

I like music. I can't write in silence. I usually try to pick some 90s music (I was a teenager in the 90s). Although, if I'm writing a happy or sad scene, I usually find music that reflects how I want my characters to feel. 

I use a laptop, so I can write anywhere. I write better when Clint is around. Although - once again - I haven't been writing at all this year, so I guess I just need to choose a spot, and start.

I have a really old desk, that came from a great grandparent. I love it. Unfortunately, I also love to keep stuff on it. This is me writing with Drogo in my lap. (In my PJs). I'd like to start writing on this desk again.

I type from the start. I occasionally write notes as I'm typing, but that's only because my memory is crap, and I can't remember names. I don't do an outline first, as many writers do. I just write. I have ideas of what will happen next, but can't really guarantee it until I get to the very moment. I keep thinking I'd like to do an outline to help me figure things out, but I haven't yet.

I've slowly started using Scrivener though, and have to say, I'm quite impressed with it. I can keep notes, timelines, and research on the side of my project. It's probably the easiest for organisation. 

As for blog writing, I do my posts without a lot of thought beforehand. Although, sometimes I start a few at a time, and then pick one to focus on. (Which is why I have about 20 drafts waiting to be used.

And that's that. I'm a pretty unorganised writer. That works for me. I won't change. However, I do plan to change by writing more, or editing more, or trying to get published.

Thanks for reading.




As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

September Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-september/
October Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-october/

Year long Prompts

Changes

September 28th, 2015

It's becoming more and more obvious that I'm not getting every single prompt done this month. Which is fine. It means I get to pick and choose. This one was originally meant for September 24th. (Not too far behind.)

Are you the same person you were last year? Five years ago? Ten years ago? Tell us how you have (or haven’t) changed.

Ten Years Ago:

I am not at all the same person I was ten years ago. Not even a little bit. I'm so thankful for that.

That's not to say I was a bad person, I was just going through my 'only want to have fun' phase. This phase continued for a few years.

Ten years ago, I had just gotten out of a five year relationship (my longest relationship for now), and I was living in South Korea teaching English. The relationship, unfortunately, ended over the phone because I thought we could make a go of it during the year I was gone. It turned out, I didn't want to. To this day, the break up was one of the scariest things I've ever had to do.

That year was all about doing new and scary things. The picture above was after I fell off a skateboard and dislocated my elbow.

I tried new things, I partied a lot, and I laughed a lot.

I'm so glad I got it out then. If I were to try to live the same lifestyle now, I would fail miserably. 

I had a lot of fun. I wrote very little. I had a blog while I was gone, but I didn't spend any time on it at all. 

It was a year that made me realise I could do more than I ever thought I could. I was more focused on living life, than on being the best I could be. There's nothing wrong with that, but it is the biggest difference between 2005 and 2015. I wasn't ready to settle down, so I didn't. (For a few years after that.) 

Sometimes I miss 25 year old me, but I'm perfectly okay with looking back and smiling at my experiences. I still want to travel as much as I can, and I hope that never changes. I just don't need the constant 'on the go' feelings, and the need to find more exciting adventures. It's all an adventure. 



Five Years Ago:

Once again, five years ago, I was different than I was five years prior, and much different than I am now. 

I was unhappy. I was in a place in my life that wasn't what I wanted it to be. I was working at a job I didn't love.

However, I had just turned 30, and I was happy to have celebrated with all of my loved ones. 

Things weren't ideal, but there were good things. 

I sometimes look back at that time, and feel like I was living under a black cloud. I had lost a lot the year before, and I was still dealing with things I forgot to deal with. 

I drank too much, and I ate too much. I didn't do a lot of healthy things. 

I didn't know how to deal with grief, and I didn't know how to be grateful for what I had. 

I think that I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I was feeling a little bit like I was at a dead end in the town I was in. 

I didn't know it yet, but I wanted to be home. I wanted to be closer to family. I've never felt like that before in my life. I had always been perfectly content with packing up and moving away. This time, I was ready to come home. 

I was very much still dealing with the miscarriage. Mostly because I had no idea how I should deal with it. It had happened months ago, but I still wasn't giving myself room to heal. 

I think from that year, things kind of just stayed the same, or got a little worse until I finally moved. I hadn't realised how depressed I was until I moved. Or when I did know, I thought I fought it off better than I did. 

One Year Ago:

I haven't changed a lot in a year, but I notice slight changes. I think I feel more like an adult, and I feel more content with my life. 

Last year, I was doing the #100happydays. I had one thing a day about the great thing that happened. I also had my gratitude blog, which was basically the same thing. I made it 100 days, and I kept up the gratitude blog. I'm no longer doing it now, but honestly, I think it's partially because I learned so much from it. I learned how to be happy with my life no matter where I am, or what I'm doing. I don't have to force happiness. 

On this day, last year, I was grateful to be wearing onesies. That's all I needed.

I still love those PJs. 


Now:

I mean, it's been a BIG year for me. We bought a house, got a new puppy family member, grew a garden, and we can't forget, I caught a REALLY big fish.

I'm sure I'll keep on changing in the years to come. In ten years, maybe I'll be doing the exact same blog post.

This year, it's just me being happy and content with my life. I'm happy with where I am, the person I'm with, and I look forward to the future. I look forward to our possible family, and our possible marriage- or simply a life full of adventures with just the two of us. 

I know I'll keep changing, and I'm glad. I love who I am now, just as I loved who I was ten years ago. Looking back won't change, but if I'm the exact same person in 10 years, then I'm doing something wrong. 

Update: I figured it out. The biggest change between this year and last year (and all the others) is that I finally feel like an adult! Haha. Took me 35 years, but I'm ready to admit it!

Happy Monday.  


As always,

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

©ErinLeahMcCrea All photos I share on my blogs are my own, please Ask Me For Permission Before Using Them.

Prompts from: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2014/12/updated-prompts.html

Letter Ideas: http://erinisawriter.blogspot.ca/2015/03/challenge-completed.html

Also, check out my ongoing book blog:  Proud Bookworm at: http://bookserinread.blogspot.ca/ 

Blogs I used to write on but not being updated:

http://lifeisgoodandhereisproof.blogspot.ca/

and

http://erinlm.blogspot.ca/

September Prompts: http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-tips/writing-prompts-september/

Year long Prompts